With sincere love, gratitude and appreciation for all who have served in the past, are serving in the present and who will serve in the future.

Thank you.

You're not alone. Veterans day was big in our family and town for that matter. It bugs me though that it seems almost off the radar here lately. I have no idea why.

Charlie

Our church every year holds a big celebration and honors the vetrans including all branches of service and active duty to ww1 vets.  Today we celebrated the life of a 93? year old man who was a vet durring WWI that was taken captive.  He spoke to us about being taken captive and what it was like in german camps.  Then we paid a special tribute to vetrans of the Korean war.  It was all very touching and special.

Today my son presented my pastor with a flag that was flown over Camp Habbiniah during his tour in Iraq.  Pastor then recognized all veterans and had a special time in honor of them.  I think it was a really neat thing that was done.

To those of you who have served our country, thank you from the bottom of my heart for keeping our country great and free.  Those from WWII, often called the "Greatest Generation" because of what you accomplished, those from the "forgotten" war of Korea which began the fighting of the war from Washington, those who fought in Viet Nam, in Grenada and Panama, those in the Persian Gulf War, and now those of you who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan have laid your lives on the line for us.  We owe you a great debt.

That is not to belittle the service of those of you who volunteered for service during "peacetime" (remember the cold war?).  You did as much to keep us free as those who were on the front lines.  No you didn't face combat, but you helped to keep us strong and our enemies at bay.

God bless you all!

Jerry

The 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month, please observe 2 minutes of silence in honour of Remembrance Day, thinking of all those who have fought for our way of life.

A story of rememberance through song:
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This is a very touching, emotional tribute to our veterans and troops everywhere, and a story of how we should observe 2 min. of silence and why.
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The Lyrics:

 A Pittance of Time
Written by Terry Kelly
Published by Jefter Publishing
     
They fought and some died for their homeland
They fought and some died now it’s our land
Look at his little child, there’s no fear in her eyes
Could he not show respect for other dads who have died?

Take two minutes, would you mind?
It’s a pittance of time
For the boys and the girls who went over
In peace may they rest, may we never forget why they died.
It’s a pittance of time

God forgive me for wanting to strike him
Give me strength so as not to be like him
My heart pounds in my breast, fingers pressed to my lips
My throat wants to bawl out, my tongue barely resists

But two minutes I will bide
It’s a pittance of time
For the boys and the girls who went over
In peace may they rest, may we never forget why they died.
It’s a pittance of time

Read the letters and poems of the heroes at home
They have casualties, battles, and fears of their own
There’s a price to be paid if you go, if you stay
Freedom is fought for and won in numerous ways

Take two minutes would you mind?
It’s a pittance of time
For the boys and the girls all over
May we never forget our young become vets
At the end of the line it’s a pittance of time

It takes courage to fight in your own war
It takes courage to fight someone else’s war
Our peacekeepers tell of their own living hell
They bring hope to foreign lands that the hatemongers can’t kill.

Take two minutes, would you mind?
It’s a pittance of time
For the boys and the girls who go over
In peacetime our best still don battle dress
And lay their lives on the line.
It’s a pittance of time

In Peace may they rest, lest we forget why they died.
Take a pittance of time


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In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

With deepest gratitude and respect.  Bless them all......past, present and future.

Sincerely,
Jackie

The "origin" of Veterans Day....

In 1921, an unknown World War 1 American Soldier was buried in Arlington National. Similar ceremonies occurred in England and France where an unknown soldier was buried in each nation's highest place of honor. These memorial gesters all took place on November 11th, giving universal recognition to the celebrated ending of World War 1 fighting at 11:00 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month). The day became known as "Armistice Day".

In 1926 in American, through a Congressional resolution it received its official name. Realizing that peace was equally preserved by Veterans of all wars, Congress requested to make this day an occasion to honor all those who have erved America in all wars. In 1954 President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day.

In 1968, it was changed to the fourth Monday in October, but it soon became apparent that Nov 11th held historic signifiance, so in 1978 Congress returned the observance to its traditional date.

Each year, the President of the US urge ALL Americans to pause at 11.a.m. on the 11th of November in honor of all the Veterans who have served our country with honor.

God Bless Each of You

BD

Veterans Day - November 11

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Thanks Cat. I haven't read that in a long time.

Charlie

Freedom...it's sweet...I NEVER forget why I have it...

Politics has NOTHING to do with it...I am grateful for those who have served, those serving now, and those who will serve...

"To insure peace, you MUST prepare for war"... I hate that that is true, but that it is, I have no doubt...

Best,

Jon

thanks to all veterans, past, present and future so my grandaughter can live in freedom

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Dang it! Y'all just made me cry.  There have been warriors in my family as far back as we can trace.  I am a veteran as well.  It was on the shoulders of those who came before that I was even allowed to serve.  
Thanks for all the incredible comments here.

Makes me remember why we fought.

LYG
kathy

God bless you all and THANK YOU!!!

love,
:) mel

To all who served.

We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw.  Alas!
Our dried voices, when
We whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dry grass
Or rats' feet over broken glass
In our dry cellar

Shape without form, shade without colour,
Paralysed force, gesture without motion;

Those who have crossed
With direct eyes, to death's other Kingdom
Remember us--if at all--not as lost
Violent souls, but only
As the hollow men
The stuffed men.

                                 II

Eyes I dare not meet in dreams
In death's dream kingdom
These do not appear:
There, the eyes are
Sunlight on a broken column
There, is a tree swinging
And voices are
In the wind's singing
More distant and more solemn
Than a fading star.

Let me be no nearer
In death's dream kingdom
Let me also wear
Such deliberate disguises
Rat's coat, crowskin, crossed staves
In a field
Behaving as the wind behaves
No nearer--

Not that final meeting
In the twilight kingdom

                                 III

This is the dead land
This is cactus land
Here the stone images
Are raised, here they receive
The supplication of a dead man's hand
Under the twinkle of a fading star.

Is it like this
In death's other kingdom
Waking alone
At the hour when we are
Trembling with tenderness
Lips that would kiss
Form prayers to broken stone.

                                 IV

The eyes are not here
There are no eyes here
In this valley of dying stars
In this hollow valley
This broken jaw of our lost kingdoms

In this last of meeting places
We grope together
and avoid speech
Gathered on this beach of the tumid river

Sightless, unless
The eyes reappear
As the perpetual star
Multifoliate rose
Of death's twilight kingdom
The hope only
Of empty men.

                                 V

Here we go round the prickly pear
Prickly pear prickly pear
Here we go round the prickly pear
At five o'clock in the morning.

Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the shadow
                               For Thine is the Kingdom

Between the conception
And the creation
Between the emotion
And the response
Falls the Shadow
                                               Life is very long

Between the desire
And the spasm
Between the potency
and the existence
Between the essence
And the descent
Falls the Shadow
                               For Thine is the Kingdom

For thine is
Life is
For Thine is the

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

To all who served, my grateful thanks.

All the best,

George

Canadian Soldier Reflects On Afghanistan

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To my fellow brothers and sisters in arms.  Thank you for standing with me, and for me.

Great service on the Sprint campus today.  Serveral WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Gulf vets were recognized.  Commander Casey of NASA was the guest speaker.   Tomorrow there will be a Chinok and an Appache Helo on Paige field. There are about 2000 flags that border the inner cirle of the campus (1 mile).

Very nice

Mark